What the Experts Have to Say about Poster Compliance

July 2, 2015

Is labor law poster compliance something you can take care of on your own?

Or is it something better left to the professionals?

We asked the most experienced members of our research team a series of questions in order to breakdown the realities of poster compliance. While this is an issue that most businesses have to face, little is known about what actually goes into obtaining and maintaining labor law poster compliance.

And so, without further ado, here are some tips about poster compliance straight from the horse’s mouth:

Is there a way for businesses to maintain poster compliance on their own?

Yes, it is possible for a business to manage their poster compliance, but I would not recommend it. The task requires significant amounts of time and resources. Many people think they can just print out a few sheets of paper and they’re done with their poster compliance for the year. Businesses don’t realize that they are looking at up to 20 different notices depending on the state they are in, and that doesn’t even include city or county poster compliance. There are also font, size and color requirements for printing these notices. It’s just not as simple as many people would like to think. At the end of the day, instead of a homemade labor poster, many are left with a messy collage on their wall.

In addition to this, you’re required to maintain poster compliance by updating the labor posters whenever there is a mandatory change, and posters can change at any time. Given the risks associated with non-compliance as well as how easy it is to make an error, this is really a task that should be left to professionals.

Is there a free source where they can get all of the notices and updates from the federal government?

While there are ways to get federal notices and updates free from the Department of Labor, it’s important to take into account that updates are not always easy to discover. This doesn’t include the state or city notices, which are also required to be posted and updated when mandatory changes occur.

Is there a state website that has all the notifications?

State websites have some of the required notices for the labor posters. However, each agency is responsible for posting its own notices so you’re usually not going to find everything you need to maintain poster compliance on one website. The state websites vary and it can be difficult to acquire all the mandatory notices.

How often do mandatory changes actually take place?

On average, there are about 2-3 mandatory changes each year for the state and federal labor posters. However, this does not include city and county posters.

What happens if the posters like the OSHA poster aren’t updated?

You may be at risk of a fine.

OSHA doesn’t do tons of poster inspections. What are the risks of actually being found out of compliance?

This is a great question, and one that I hear all the time. You may not know this, but there are many situations other than an OSHA inspection that can bring about a fine, penalty, or lawsuit against an employer. For one, any workers compensation issue will bring attention to your poster compliance. The one we see a lot involves a disgruntled employee. You really never know when this might happen, in fact, a lot of times it’s a complete surprise. This is why it’s good to look at poster compliance like you would car insurance. Most people do not have to show proof of car insurance on a regular basis. But on the occasion when you need it, you’re extremely glad you have it.

When the government or lawyers get involved, the first thing they usually ask is whether the most up-to-date labor posters are displayed on the wall. When this isn’t the case, the situation usually doesn’t go well for the employer.

In fact, maintaining poster compliance is really to everyone’s benefit. It’s not just about avoiding fines. The posters are a resource for employees. They provide employees with the most up to date information about the labor laws. So when the posters are up to date, everyone wins.

So what would you suggest is the best way to maintain labor law poster compliance?

Hands down, I would always rely on a labor law poster service from a reliable poster compliance company. That way, you can get the posters delivered straight to your office along with all the mandatory changes that occur throughout the year. I would choose a service, like Poster Compliance Center’s OneSystem 1-Year Compliance Plan, that also offers a poster violation warranty so that the stress of fines falls completely in the hands of the poster compliance company.

Well, that is the end of the interview. For more information on labor law posters and a possible labor law poster service, check out our OneSystem 1-Year Compliance Plan; we’ve been around for over 20 years and we’re experts in the field of labor law poster compliance.

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